Talent Maps / Orlando / Aerospace Engineers

Orlando Aerospace Engineer Talent Map (2026)

What aerospace engineers earn in metro Orlando, which defense and aviation employers hire them, where in the metro they work, and the Space Coast projects competing for them.

Hiring aerospace engineers in Orlando?

A talent map shows where a group of professionals works, what they are paid and who else is trying to hire them. This one covers aerospace engineers in the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metro area, with the nearby Space Coast shown as context. Pay figures come from the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (May 2025), and the demand picture uses project and employer data published from 2025 to 2026. Our engineering recruiters update it as new data comes out. See also our Orlando mechanical, electrical and industrial engineer talent maps.

$124,420Median aerospace engineer pay in metro OrlandoBLS, May 2025

$173,020+What the top 10% of Orlando aerospace engineers earnBLS, May 2025

109Orbital launches from Florida in 2025, a recordSpace Florida

$600MBlue Origin’s planned Space Coast upper stage plant, announced May 22, 2026Florida Governor’s office

1,200+Engineers the new Northrop Grumman Melbourne facility can houseNorthrop Grumman, 2026

14,000Lockheed Martin employees in the Orlando areaOrlando Economic Partnership

Aerospace engineer salaries in Orlando

The median aerospace engineer in metro Orlando earns $124,420 a year, $4,860 below the Florida median of $129,280 and $10,540 below the national median of $134,960. The hourly median is $59.82. The gap widens at the top. Orlando’s 90th percentile is $173,020, against $177,070 statewide and $205,890 nationally.

Annual pay percentile	Orlando metro	Florida	United States
10th percentile	$82,120	$84,210	$86,700
25th percentile	$102,840	$104,790	$106,110
Median	$124,420	$129,280	$134,960
75th percentile	$143,600	$156,370	$169,690
90th percentile	$173,020	$177,070	$205,890

Aerospace Engineers (SOC 17-2011). Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025, via O*NET OnLine. Wage surveys run about a year behind current offers.

Mechanical engineers, who fill many aerospace and defense design roles, earn a median of $103,380 in Orlando, so the aerospace title carries a premium of $21,040 at the median. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians earn a median of $53,140 in Orlando.

What the spread means in practice: Tampa’s median of $126,500 is $2,080 above Orlando’s, but Orlando is ahead at the top, with a 90th percentile of $173,020 against $162,330 in Tampa. Tampa’s 10th percentile is $75,820, against $82,120 in Orlando.

Where Orlando’s aerospace work is

Lockheed Martin

Missiles and Fire Control, at 5600 Sand Lake Road, builds precision engagement systems and products such as Apache fire control sensors and the F-35 electro-optical targeting system. Rotary and Mission Systems works on training devices and simulation.

The Orlando Economic Partnership’s top employers list shows 14,000 Lockheed Martin employees in the Orlando area.

Central Florida Research Park contractors

The park is anchored by Naval Support Activity Orlando and several simulation commands. Its private tenants include Boeing, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, L3Harris and Huntington Ingalls Industries.

The Economic Partnership also lists Thales and L3Harris among Orlando’s aerospace and defense employers.

Aviation services at the airport

EPC Aerospace announced its U.S. headquarters at Orlando International Airport in October 2025, after acquiring Sky Aerospace. It does maintenance, repair, overhaul and modification work for commercial and military aircraft.

The Economic Partnership also lists JetBlue, SIMCOM, CAE and FlightSafety among the region’s aviation and training operators.

Space Coast employers nearby

Blue Origin employs nearly 4,000 people across 11 sites in Brevard and Orange counties. Northrop Grumman has 5,000 employees at its Melbourne campus and about 8,000 in Florida. Lockheed Martin is adding a Titusville plant for Trident II D5LE2 missile components.

These sites are outside the Orlando metro, so their pay is not part of the Orlando figures above.

Where the talent sits: Orlando submarkets

Central Florida Research Park

DefenseSimulation

The 1,027 acre park south of UCF has 126 partners and 10,000 employees, and sits about 35 miles from Kennedy Space Center.

Sand Lake Road

MissilesSensors

Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control campus is at 5600 Sand Lake Road.

Orlando International Airport

MROTraining

EPC Aerospace has its U.S. headquarters at the airport, and JetBlue runs a training center there.

Space Coast (outside the metro)

LaunchDefense

Titusville, Merritt Island and Melbourne host Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman sites.

What’s driving demand for aerospace engineers in Orlando

Record launch cadence. Florida had 109 orbital launches in 2025, up from 93 in 2024. Space Florida reports a $6 billion statewide aerospace project pipeline.
Blue Origin’s expansion. On May 22, 2026 the Governor’s office announced a $600 million, 830,000-square-foot upper stage plant at Rocket Park with 500 jobs averaging more than $98,000. A New Glenn vehicle exploded during a static fire at Launch Complex 36 on May 28, 2026. Blue Origin is building a larger pad, 36B, and has said it aims to fly again by the end of 2026.
Northrop Grumman in Melbourne. The company opened a 300,000-square-foot engineering facility on August 3, 2026, with space for more than 1,200 engineers and 17 secure labs. It supports sixth-generation aircraft work.
Lockheed Martin in Titusville. A $140 million, 225,000-square-foot plant announced on January 31, 2025 will make Trident II D5LE2 components. It plans 300 jobs at an average wage of $89,000 and is due to be operating in 2027.
Sensors and simulation in Orlando. Lockheed Martin’s Orlando operations develop and support advanced sensor systems and missiles, and central Florida’s military simulation commands sit in Research Park.
Aircraft services. EPC Aerospace made Orlando International its U.S. headquarters, with operations starting in early 2026.

Aerospace specialties tied to these projects

Electro-optic and sensor systems engineers for Lockheed Martin’s Orlando products.
Launch vehicle manufacturing and propulsion engineers for Blue Origin’s Space Coast plants and Launch Complex 36.
Airframe and aircraft design engineers for the sixth-generation work at Northrop Grumman’s Melbourne campus.
Simulation and training systems engineers for Rotary and Mission Systems and the Research Park commands.
Aircraft maintenance and modification engineers for EPC Aerospace and the airport’s MRO operators.

The talent pipeline

University of Central Florida. UCF’s BS in aerospace engineering is ABET-accredited. It had 878 undergraduates and awarded 217 degrees in 2024 to 2025.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Its Daytona Beach campus offers ABET-accredited aerospace engineering at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels, and reports a 98% employment rate within one year of graduation for the 2023 to 2024 cohort.
Licensing. Florida PE licenses are issued by the Florida Board of Professional Engineers after an ABET-accredited degree, the FE exam, four years of experience and the PE exam. Some defense roles also require a US security clearance, so ask early.

What this means if you’re hiring

Benchmark against Tampa. Tampa’s median is $2,080 higher than Orlando’s, though Orlando’s 90th percentile is $10,690 higher.
Expect the national gap at the top. Orlando’s 90th percentile is $32,870 below the national figure, so candidates with national offers may ask for more.
Watch Space Coast hiring. Blue Origin plans 500 jobs and Lockheed Martin’s Titusville plant 300 jobs, so engineers with launch or missile experience will have options.
Price senior roles at the 75th percentile. For experienced aerospace engineers in Orlando, plan on $143,600 or higher.

Need aerospace engineers in Orlando?

Apollo Technical has recruited engineers since 2010. Our recruiting teams place aerospace, defense systems, simulation and launch vehicle engineers on a contract, contract-to-hire and direct hire basis.

Call 813.701.2797 or see our Orlando engineering recruiters page.

Hire aerospace engineers

Frequently asked questions

How much do aerospace engineers make in Orlando?

The median aerospace engineer salary in metro Orlando is $124,420 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. The middle half earn between $102,840 and $143,600, and the top 10% earn $173,020 or more.

Do aerospace engineers earn more in Orlando or Tampa?

Tampa, by a small margin at the median. Its median is $126,500, against $124,420 in Orlando. Orlando is ahead at the 90th percentile, $173,020 against $162,330. See our Tampa aerospace engineer talent map.

Who hires aerospace engineers in Orlando?

Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control and Rotary and Mission Systems divisions, defense contractors in Central Florida Research Park such as Northrop Grumman, L3Harris and Raytheon, and aviation firms such as EPC Aerospace and SIMCOM. On the Space Coast, Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin are also hiring.

Sources (20)